New Mexico is known as the Land of Enchantment. Its sunny climate and many scenic attractions act as a magnet for tourists. Vacation resorts abound in its mountains and high plateaus. Unique natural wonders may be seen in Carlsbad Caverns National Park and at White Sands National Monument. Historic sites and stretches of primitive wilderness are preserved in other national park areas and in state parks and national monuments. Many who have visited the Land of Enchantment return to settle there, adding to its colorful population mix of Native Americans, Spanish Americans, and Anglo-Americans. Yet the huge state is still sparsely populated. Fifth in area among the 50 states, it ranks only 37th in population density. Much of its open space is used for grazing cattle and sheep. Nearly one quarter of the land is timbered.
One of the youngest of the states, New Mexico is the site of the oldest white settlement in the western United States. In 1610, three years after the founding of Jamestown, Va., Spanish colonizers established the city of Santa Fe (see Santa Fe). For more than 200 years the Spanish ruled all of the vast area that now makes up the American Southwest. In 1821 the territory became a province of Mexico. It was ceded to the United States in 1848 and admitted to the Union as the 47th state in 1912. Today New Mexico is a blend of three cultures--American Indian, Spanish-American, and American. It is the only state with two official languages--English and Spanish.
Where water is available, New Mexico's unusually fertile soil produces such crops as cotton and wheat. Despite the completion of important dam and irrigation projects, water conservation is still a major problem for the state. Too many years went by before the problem was recognized and engaged. Although educational and economic opportunities in New Mexico have broadened, many pockets of poverty remain--notably among the state's American Indians and Spanish Americans. Large numbers of New Mexicans are employed by the federal government. More private industry is needed, both to provide jobs for the jobless and to offset the importance of federal payrolls to the state's economy.
New Mexico is a scenic highland of towering mountains, red rocks, and barren deserts. Amid its natural beauty are colorful Indian villages, Spanish mission houses, and the remains of the ancient Cliff Dwellers. These attractions provide the basis of a thriving tourist industry and give the state its nickname, the Land of Enchantment.
The Land of Enchantment is shaped roughly like a giant rectangle. It is bounded on the north by Colorado and on the west by Arizona. At the northwest corner is the only point in the nation where four states meet--New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah. South of New Mexico are the Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua and the western arm of Texas. To the east are Texas and the tip of the Oklahoma Panhandle. The only natural boundary is a 15-mile (24-kilometer) strip along the southern border where the Rio Grande separates New Mexico from Texas. From north to south New Mexico measures 395 miles (636 kilometers) at its greatest length. Its longest east-west distance is 355 miles (571 kilometers). In area, it is the fifth largest state--after Alaska, Texas, California, and Montana. New Mexico's total area is 121,666 square miles (315,113 square kilometers), including 254 square miles (658 square kilometers) of inland water.
